The NASA, ESA, and CSA James Webb Space Telescope has captured high-resolution infrared images of NGC 2392, a planetary nebula nicknamed the Lion Nebula. According to ESA, Webb imaged the target using its Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
Hubble previously observed the nebula in visible light in 2000, revealing features such as a hazy mane of comet-shaped objects. While Webb's infrared images show a similar overall structure at first glance, its high-resolution instruments highlight compact clumps of dust and a haze of ionised gas.
ESA reported that the collection of gas and dust took several thousand years to reach its current shape. At the centre sits the remains of a dying star—a white dwarf that powers the surrounding structures. The expanding bubble of ionised gas forming the face destroys dust in its path, while swept-up gas forms rings and shells.
The lion's mane consists of the interior of a dust shell illuminated by the central white dwarf. Dense compact clumps of dust have survived radiation from the stellar core, creating cometary tails of material that protect the gas lying behind them.
As gas and dust continue migrating away from the stellar core, NGC 2392 will undergo further structural changes. Astronomers estimate that the nebula will eventually disperse in approximately 10,000 years.
